Accidents often occur when maneuvering with car/trailer combinations, especially those of larger size with several trailers, since the driver's view of the overall rig is often hampered. Therefore, devices and methods are needed which afford the driver a better overview of the rig and, thus, a safe steering of the rig.
In German publication DE 10 2010 008 324 A1 a device is described made up of a combination of a motor vehicle and a mobile device independent of the motor vehicle with a processor and a camera. It is specified that the camera is aimed from the motor vehicle at a trailer suspended from the motor vehicle, so that the images of the trailer taken by the camera are evaluated by the processor in order to ascertain a positional relation between the motor vehicle and the trailer.
Publication DE 10 2005 045 196 A1 on the other hand concerns a device for assisting the driver of a tractor vehicle during rear maneuvers with a rig combination, comprising the following components: a camera mounted in the rear area of the vehicle, a steering angle sensor, a bending angle sensor, a simulation computer and a display device. The device is used to represent a trajectory of at least one impact point of a trailer of the rig, wherein the trajectory is calculated from at least one wheel lock angle and/or a bending angle and superimposed on a camera image.
In publication DE 10 2006 056 408 A1 a method is disclosed for determining a position of a two-axle trailer with at least one movable wheel axle, relative to a vehicle. The method comprises the following steps: generating of image data, detection of measurement points, determination of a position of each measurement point, determination of a disposition angle between a longitudinal axis of a tractor vehicle and a steering axis of the trailer and a disposition angle between the steering axis and a longitudinal axis of the trailer by means of the measurement points with respect to an image recording device.